An obscure personnel policy that allowed the Mandeville mayor to grant written approval for city employees to drink on the job was quashed by the City Council Thursday night. By a unanimous vote, the council approved an ordinance pushed by Mayor Donald Villere to amend the alcohol consumption reference that officials said they discovered while reviewing personnel policies.

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Personnel Director Gretchen McKinney said in her 10 years on the job no mayor had ever granted an employee permission to drink alcohol while on duty. And Villere said he sees no need to have such a policy on the books.

Officials said the policy, which they deemed outdated, was perhaps written as a way for employees to have alcohol while attending city-sponsored holiday parties or other such events. Villere said he didn't know when the policy was first put in place, but he referred to it as a throwback to the days when the consumption of alcohol was more prevalent in the workplace.

The mayor said the city is looking at making other changes and updates to personnel policies, including perhaps the creation of a leave-sharing policy. Those changes could be brought to the City Council later this year, he said.